I smoked over a pack a day for 15 years and got really overweight. Now I'm an endurance junkie with lots of marathons, century rides, half and full ironmans, and ultramarathons under my belt. Check back often to watch the progress from smoking 26.2 cigarettes a day to running 26.2 miles, or from Iron Lung to Ironman.

Monday, January 28, 2013

So good I can't come up with an effective Title

I don't even know where to start this is so good. We had the banquet for the Second Empire Grand Prix fall series that we both finished. Kelley ended up taking second place in her age group! The series was 10 races long, all fall, and you had to complete 6 of those 10 races to finish the series. Points were assigned based on overall finish place and weighted by time according to the first finisher of each race. The highest 6 point totals count towards your final score, so if two 5k's were run on different courses, you could have gotten more points for the slower finishing time.

Kelley is over the moon about her second place finish. I mean she beat out plenty of other women and I am so proud for her. The age group prize was a Zoot Performance transition bag embroidered with the series logo and it is seriously cool. That's a $75 backpack! Going to come in really handy here pretty soon.

I got some arm warmers

Walking up to get her prize

Out front with the prize!

In front of the Second Empire restaurant - seriously good eats

Second Empire in Raleigh is a really good restaurant, and they served lunch before giving out the awards. It was very inspiring hanging out with all of the other runners. I said I wasn't going to do the spring series and I still won't since Ironman training starts next weekend. But that's really motivating to see all of those other runners in street clothes, talking about races and having fun. I got to talking to one guy (who beat me in my age group) that is signed up for Ironman Florida this year. Really makes me want to run more.

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This newfound motivation to run ironically led to no workouts on Saturday. Friday there was a pretty serious ice storm that melted on Saturday before we had to leave for the luncheon. Then we got into some kid stuff and the day was gone. Sunday I did get to sing in the choir, took the kids to see Frankenweenie (weird movie), and got in a bike/run brick. It felt great.

This is the last week to take it easy letting the long workouts slide like that before breaking into Ironman training. The two-a-days will start hard on Saturday, and I am still looking forward to it. Ask me again in 4 months why I didn't take a complete rest in January.

I have been logging all of January's workouts on TitanXT as a part of the 2013 Cast Iron Club. You can follow the progress online, I'll add a link onto the left sidebar soon. Right after I add that twitter link too. I did get signed up for the club so we can track my progress to completing 30 iron distances in one year.

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Saturday I hung out in some Injinji socks. Bigun also put on a pair and loved them. Injinji has just launched a new web site and product line, and I scored a couple of pairs of trail socks and a pair of running socks. The trail socks have more padding in the bottom, and they all fit really well.

Bigun wouldn't take these off. I may not get them back.

We're both hanging out in really cool toe socks

Of course EG couldn't let her big sister turn into a toe sock model without her getting sassy

Seriously sassy. That's how she lures you in. This look means that Evil is looming.

Check out the new Injinji web site and get some of the new product line Injinji 2.0 socks. They really are very comfortable. Saturday I wore a pair for the brick workout and did 11 miles on the bike and a 4 mile run. It was the most comfortable my feet have been in quite a while. I have a problem toenail that grows to a point and ends up stabbing my other toe quite painfully and usually when I get over about 5 miles, and these socks surely will help out with that. Get yourself some!

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Finally, Bigun was studying for a spelling test last week when this happened:

About Me

I am a sterotype living Raleigh, NC with the wife and 2 kids. 40+, endurance junkie with a penchant for marathons, trail, and triathlon races. It keeps me smoke free and happy. I also enjoy organic gardening and healthy eating, and work as a software developer.